Worries sparked by the deadly Feb. 14 school shooting in Parkland, Florida prompted a gathering of local school, town government, and state police officials at Griswold Middle School to discuss ways to beef up school security.

While specific measures and solutions remain on the table for future meetings, arming classroom teachers apparently is not. Griswold Superintendent Sean McKenna, who attended the roundtable, said that a show of hands indicated that virtually everyone who voted – school officials and state troopers alike – didn't want teachers to be armed.

"I'm not in favor of it, and most of the administrators I know are not in favor of it," said McKenna. "Forget about the cost, police are trained to handle these things. Teachers aren't. They don't go to school for that."

The meeting, which was closed to the press, was called by State Rep. Kevin Skulczyck, along with State Rep. Anne Dauphinais, of Killingly. School officials from Plainfield, Voluntown, and Sterling also attended, as did state troopers and local selectmen.

Also attending was Sidney Luther, a former state trooper who worked with gangs in New Haven and Hartford. Luther said he is serving as a consultant on the process.

"We're trying to think outside the box, coming up with some alternative methods," he said.

The frank discussion highlighted how many seemingly unrelated decisions have an impact on school safety, said Griswold School Board Chairman Stuart Norman. Cutting a bus means more youngsters walking to school. One less school secretary means less coverage at the school office. Fewer teachers means more students for each teacher to shepherd to safety.

"There are a lot of things I hadn't even thought of. It's a ripple effect of unintended consequences," he said.

But some of the measures the group discussed don't have a cost, said Norman. Helping local police and troopers learn the layout of schools - and even simply making sure rooms are numbered - can help first responders, he said.

"Some things can be done during the summer, when school is not in session," he said. "There are things we can do that don't cost money, but do cost time."

Dauphinais said that she has heard from many concerned parents and teachers since the Parkland shooting. State cuts to school grants in eastern Connecticut will complicate efforts to improve school security, even as the state budget funds renovations to Hartford's XL Center.

"I think the state has its priorities mixed up," she said.

Skulczyck said that even though Gov. Dannel Malloy has released $10 million earmarked for school security, splitting it up among the state's 169 towns will create dischord, especially in light of the governor's recent "holdbacks" in grants to municipal school districts, which hit easterne Connecticut particularly hard.

Skulczyck said he plans to hold more meetings, including parents, teachers, and high school students in the conversation.

"This is what's been missing," he said of a resurgence of student activism on gun control and school safety. "We're hearing our children's voices. I applaud these young people – they're thinking about their future."

McKenna said he welcomes the opportunity for discussion about improving school safety, especially since much of the national rhetoric in the wake of Parkland has involved finger- pointing between opposing political factions.

"There's a lot of scapegoating going on because of these awful national tragedies," he said. "You have to come up with solutions that make sense and can be implemented. Wouldn't it be nice to discuss how we can get there?"